Internal-combustion engine.



APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4, 1911.

Patented July 14, 1914.,

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Ill.

T. DIXON-6; P. GRIGSBY. INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

@ZW W 9 @iy uw I THEODORE DIXON AND PETE GR'IGSBY, OF WEST BADEN, INDIANA.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION Encarta,

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed November 4, 19i1. Serial No. 658,496.

, tion-E-ngines, of which the following is a discharge .0

specification.

The invention relates in generalto internal combustion engines, and more particularly to the valve means for introducing a charge of gasinto the cylinder or cylinders of an engine and for or burnt charge,

The principal object of ,our inventionis to simplify the construction of a gas engine by reducing the number of working parts and increasing the efliciency of its operation.

To these ends the invention consists generally in providing the cylinder of an internal combustion engine with a rotatable inner cylinder inwhich the piston works; Y the inner cylinder being provided with asingle port in registering alinement withl being provided with an annular shoulder suitable ports leadin into the combustion chamber of the cylin er, whereby the rotatation of said inner cylinder opens and closes said orts for the introduction and f new and burnt gases, respectively.

A further object of our invention is to provide simple, efficient and economical means for operating the inner cylinder.

Further objects of the invention will appear throughout the specification and will be more specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a two-cylinder engine showing our improved construction; parts being broken away and other parts in section; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an end elevational view of Fig. 1 with parts broken away and other parts in section; Fig. i is an elevational view of the cylinder head with a part broken away; Fi 5 is an elevational view of the-inner cylinder. 1

Referring now more particularly tothe drawings, the crank case 6 is preferably {made in two sections, the lower section 8 beingsecured to the upper section by means expelling the exhausted of suitable bolts 6". Secured to the crank case are the fixed cylinders 7 and 8, which are preferably cast integral and are circumferentlally recessed at 9' to form a watei? acket. Each cylinder is provided with a cyhnder head 10 centrally recessed to rewith compresslon rings 12. Each cylinder head is provided with intake openings 13 and 13 and exhaust openings 14 and 14*, sa d intake openings communicating with each other and with an intake passage 15 formed through the wall between the cylinders. Registering ports 16 and 16 are formed'through the cylinder wall and in reglstering alinement with the ports 14 and 14;. The crank shaft 17 is. mounted in suitable-bearings in the crank case and, in the construction shown, is provided with two crank arms 18 and 18 The connecting rods 19 and 19 are pivotally connected between the crank arms 18 and 18, respectively, and'are pivotally connected to suitable piston hea s 20 and 20*. Interposed between the pistons and the fixed cylinder walls are the inner cylinders 21 and 21, each 22 having a bearing upon annular shoulders 23 formed near the top of the fixed cylinders, thereby preventing relative vertical -movementbetween the outer and inner cylinders when the cylinder heads 10 are secured to the fixed cylinders. Each inner cylinder is provided with circumferential beveled teeth '24 and 24 at their lower edges, for the purposes hereinafter described.

A gear 25 is mounted upon the crank shaft 17 and is in mesh with a larger gear 26 mounted on a suitable shaft 27 the ends of which shaft are journaled in the side walls of the gear casing 27. Said gear casing is mounted upon a suitable support 28 formed on the lower half 6 of the crank chamber. The gear 26 is provided, on each side thereof, with teeth 29 and 29 for engagement with the teeth 24 and 24 on the inner cylinders 20 and 20, respectively. Each inner cylinder is provided with a suitable port 30 and 30*. When the cylinder heads are fastened to the cylinders by any suitable means, such as machine screws 31, it is obvious that the inner cylinders are confin'ed as to vertical movement, but are free to-rotate relative to the outer cylinders.

A cylinder may be readily cleaned by re- *Patented July 14, 1914..

ceive'suitable spark plugs 11 and provided 7 l moving one of the heads 10, but since the head prevents upward movement of'the in-' inders with a charge of gaseous mixture and a supply pipe from said carbureter com-- inunicates with the port 15, upon a rotation of the crank shaft 17 the pistons 20 and 20 will be alternately moved up and down within their respective cylinders. Thisrotation of the crank shaft also rotates the gears 25 and 26, thereby rotating the inner cylinders 21 and 21. These cylinders are rotated in opposite directions, as will be readily seen from a reference to Figs. 1 and 2; the piston 20" in Fig. 1 being shown at the limit of its upward stroke and the port 30 about to cross the intake port 13. Upon a downward movement of the piston 20 a charge of the gaseous mixture is drawn within the cylinder" 7 while the port 30* is passing the port 13; and it will be noted that at this period the inner cylinder closes the exhaust port 16 of the outer cylinder 7. Upon one upward stroke of the piston 20 the charge is compressed, and then fired and upo the succeeding upward stroke of the piston the port 30 passes the port 16 the upwarpl stroke of the piston thereby driving out thfi exhaust gases in the cylinder 7 thropgh the port 16*. The piston 20 in cylinder 8 is shown at the limit of itsdown ward stroke and by reference to Fig. 2, the port 30 of the inner cylinder is just about to .pass the port 16 as the inner cylinder 21 moves in the same path as do the hands of a clock (as viewed in Fig. 2), whereas, the innor cylinder 21 moves in the opposite direction. It will he therefore seen that as the exhaust charges are about to be driven out from the cylinder 8 a new charge is about to be introduced into the cylinder 7 so that the two cylinders work alternately as to the introduction and discharge of new and exhaust gases. No oiling means are shown for lubricating the inner cylinders but this is Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the ,Gommissi Washington, D. 0."

an expedient that may be accomplished in various ways. 1

While we have shown our invention as applied to a two-cylinder engine, it is obvious that so far as the inner cylinder is concerned, it may be applied to one or -more cylinders as desired. Where four cylindersare used it would simply be a duplication of our present structure as shown.

\Vithout confining ourselves to the specific details of construction, nor to a two cylin- (ler engine alone, we claim: y

1 An intcrnal combustion engine having in combination a fixed cylinder provided with intake and exhaust ports and having an annular shoulder near its upper end, a

second cylinder rotatably mounted .in said fixed cylinder and provided with an exterior annular shoulder adapted to rest on the shoulder of said fixed cylinder and with an interior annular shoulder, a port in said second cylinder in registering alinementwith the ports of said fixed cylinder, ahead for said cylinders extending over the ends thereof and having an extension entering said second cylinder and bearing against the interior shoulder thereon, ports in said head in registering alinement with the ports in the fixed cylinder, a piston in said second cylinder and means for rotating said second cylinder. a

2. In'an engine, the combination with aplurality' of cylinders each provided with inlet and exhaust ports and each having the upper end thereof enlarged circumferentially to form a shoulder, a piston adapted for reciprocation within each cylinder, and a crank shaft common to all of said pistons, of a valve within each cylinder and rotatable therein between the cylinder wall and the piston and having the upper end. thereof enlarged cireumferentially to fit the similarly formed portion of the inner wall of the cylinder and forming a shoulder resting upon the first mentioned shoulder, each valve being provided with a plurality of ports adapted 'to register with the ports in the respective cylinder, driving connections between all of said valves whereby the same will operate simultaneously, and -driving connections between said crank shaft and valves.

- THEODORE DIXON PETE GRIGSBYQ Witnesses:-

W. S. LOMAX, W. F. Moonn.

oner of Patents. 

